The Guardian
by Luvdarain5
Summary: Tall, silvery haired Artemis is Princess Mina’s reserved guardian whom she can’t stand! But fear brings out true emotions, and when she’s attacked at a party, will his true feelings be revealed? Pls R&R, hope you enjoy!


The Guardian

By Luvdarain5

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"He's such a jerk!" Bemoaned the pretty blond appealing to her friends as they stood around in a cluster, dressed in dazzling eveningwear. "Every time I turn around he's there!" She added, hoping for some sympathy or support from the others. "He's so creepy!"

The irritated blond speaking was none other than Princess Minako, the only one of the small group truly in her element at the party. The other Princess's were here under duress: Rei had not wanted to attend, Lita had been mooning over a boy from her own planet and was devastated that he was not in attendance, and Amy and Serena were too shy, both clustering together for courage. Time would change all that of course, but for now Mina was the center of their world, confident in both her looks and ability to hold a mans attention.

It was a highbrow affair with many important people, and the princesses had been at the top of the guest list. Though not yet involved in politics and universal affairs they were instead the hottest debutantes, VIP's and thus invited to every soiree and party in hopes of the event being named a success.

At 16, Mina had the world at her feet. Her beauty was renowned, and after all, she had a long lineage of passion and romance in her family's sordid history. She easily enchanted men of all ages, and it only served to dull her palate, causing her to become haughty and jaded well before her time. But she told herself she was happy with all the attention and energetically fell in and out of love at regular intervals.

The only blight on her otherwise perfect existence was the presence of her guardian and protector, the 'creep' she referred to standing just in her peripheral sight near the door.

"Jeez Mina, you act like he's so horrible!" Serena muttered; crunching nervously on a cracker loaded with imported cheese while she looked around the room. She felt distinctly uncomfortable and wanted nothing more than for the night to be over. She hated these things. Her mother assured her that one-day she would find them much more entertaining, perhaps if she met a charming prince to make the night memorable. Privately Serena doubted _that_ would happen.

"Well, he is!" Mina retaliated childishly. She smacked Rei's hand without looking at her, hissing under her breath. "Use a fork, not your fingers Rei!"

Rei blushed furiously, then snapped back "I know!" Dropping the offending food, she hunted for eating utensils; embarrassed that Mina had called her out for her gaucheness.

A small sniffle came from the direction of Lita but the other girls ignored it. Lisa was a bit of a drama queen and was just waiting for someone to ask her what was wrong. Whereupon she would go on and on and ON about her latest love tragedy. They loved her but they quickly tired of her dramatics.

"Personally, I think he's a perfect gentleman." Gentle Ami offered with a smile in his direction. Ami was always conscious of other people, especially the 'help' and felt a bit of pity for the dignified guardian having to baby-sit the likes of Mina.

The tall young man gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to Ami but settled his eyes back onto his charge, ever the serious guardian.

"At least he's good looking Mina!" Serena persisted, "Look what I have to deal with! " She gave an ungracious nod in the direction of the morbidly black clad figure of her guardian, resplendent in a black silk gown, shiny black shoes, and complete with long black hair. "She's terrifying!"

Mina gave a light laugh at Serena's description of Luna. The woman was very severe in temperament, but extremely beautiful as well. She supposed it was a common trait among their kind, as her guardian Artemis came from the same ilk. He was serious but beautiful in an entirely different manner than his counterpart.

Where Luna was dark and languid, he was crisp and dignified. Mina turned full on to stare at him, holding her gaze steadily against his. He had been her shadow for three years now and thought herself accustomed to his looks. But somehow they still seemed to catch her by surprise from time to time.

The long supple white hair shimmered with health, the tall body stood straight displaying a lean figure and lightly muscled physique. The face was aesthetically pleasing, with smooth skin, a sensual mouth and the penetrating blue eyes that often tried to put her in her place. He was ice to her fiery temper and they two often clashed over trivial matters, her small way of making him pay for the power he wielded over her.

He raised a silent eyebrow in inquiry when she continued to try to stare him down. When he didn't appear to be inclined to look away, she stuck her tongue out at him and mouthed the word 'creep', her favorite nickname for him, then haughtily turned away, nose in the air. Much to his silent amusement.

"Well, just the other day I snuck off from my afternoon lessons just for a minute and do you know he ratted me out to my mother?!" Mina huffed with indignation. "She was so ticked; I had to endure an hour long lecture just because of him!" She tried to coax sympathy from the other girls but they were not so easily taken in.

"You got in trouble because of what _you_ did, not because he told your mother what you did." Rei informed her with great satisfaction. "He was only doing his job!"

Mina surveyed the other girls and saw similar reactions in their faces. "Traitors." She accused but without rancor. After all, they were her best friends. Placing her small dessert plate on the buffet table behind her she turned to the group hands on her hips and gave them her trademark grin. "Come on girls, this party needs some livening up!"

The others grimaced and huddled closer together, not wanting to have any part of Mina's formulating plans. After all, she might be hot stuff, but the rest of them were 'normal' teenagers, with a great deal of self doubt mixed in with a healthy measure of 'what if I do something to embarrass my family, or worse-myself?!?

Mina grabbed the hands of the friends nearest her; Ami and Rei. With authoritative instructions for the other two girls to 'come on!' She began to lead the way to the dance floor. These sorts of parties usually had a lot of formal dancing, but Mina preferred the livelier tunes, and marched up to the orchestra's conductor advising him saucily to 'play something fun'.

The conductor glanced at the nervous hostess who nodded quickly, anything the girls wanted they got; it could only help make the party an event. Unless it all came crashing down on her head, the woman thought fleetingly, grabbing another stiff drink to get her through the evening.

The Princess's swept onto the floor, commanding everyone's attentions as they began to twirl and spin in time to the music. At first with some reserve, but when they began to relax and enjoy themselves they let go with total abandon.

One song sped into another, the crowd getting into the spirit. Some of the older couples braved the floor to try the energetic turns and twists, while other stood to the side, clapping their hands, pointing out misexecuted steps, and laughing in gaiety. The now slightly inebriated hostess congratulated herself on an entirely successful party, though it had hardly been any doing of her own.

As Mina stepped jauntily with one fellow, she flirted shamelessly with another, keeping her eye on a third in her peripheral vision. She so enjoyed these types of events, when she had a chance to just cut loose and have fun, which, to her mothers chagrin, seemed to be her only goal in life.

The burly youth she was dancing with noticed her wandering attentions and began trying to block the others out of her line of sight. Slowly but determinedly, he began using his body to herd her towards the edge of the dance floor, and then off of it entirely.

He cornered her against the wall, the crowd now so taken by the music and dancing distractions that she had helped created that no one noticed her absence. Hands behind tucked behind her, she had her back aligned against the wall and looked up unconcerned at the angry features of the would be suitor, who felt he had been cuckolded, though it had only been a dance.

He crowded her with his stocky frame, an arm over her head, bracing himself against the wall, the better to emphasize his large strength over her small form. He leaned forward to whisper words of reproach and love in her ear, but she stopped him with a hand to his chest. "If I were you, I would move back." She said sweetly but in warning. Of course they never listened when she tried to tell them, but she did at least try.

"Or what?" He whispered huskily, thinking she was teasing him, and began to lean into her again, when he was quite abruptly pulled back away form her. Off balance, he stumbled back, arms pinwheeling to regain his footing. Unfortunately at that point it was too late to try to regain his balance and he crashed onto the floor, amidst a few dancers who barely looked their way, assuming it was a drunken fall.

"I did try to warn you." Mina said complacently, looking down at her nails with a bored expression on her face.

"That's enough Princess." Artemis snapped, impatient with her 'lady of the manor' attitude.

He stood protectively before her, much taller than she, with his back to her as he watched to see what the next move from the arrogant youth would be. The boy was furious at being humiliated, though no one had paid much attention to his fall.

Mina's eyes ran over the view presented to her; the long lines and crisp white uniform her guardian wore. He was deliciously lofty, his height well above most of the men there. Long silvery hair fountained down almost to his waist, stopping just above what Mina privately thought was his best feature. She shook her head quickly, wondering why she was thinking about his backside. He was her nemesis, put there by her mother to torture and keep her on a short leash.

The unseated swain scrambled up, ready to defend his mauled manhood, but a few quiet words from Artemis stopped him.

"Careful young sir." He warned frostily, his blue-gray eyes looking sympathetic and menacing at the same time. "I have had extensive combat training and more fighting experience than you, I'm sure." He waited for the boy to look him over considering, then he continued. "I only advise that you start something you are _sure_ you can finish; otherwise you may find yourself on the loosing end of an altercation over nothing more than an overly spoiled princess."

He heard Mina's indignant indrawn breath behind him but ignored her. Instead waiting for the boy to take his measure and make his choice. He knew the youth was looking over Artemis's elegant attire and wondering if he spoke the truth. People often misjudged the Mau's skills based on the air of sophistication he presented, only to find out the hard reality when he was forced to show them the error of their ways. He hoped it wouldn't be the case with this one; after all it wasn't his fault. Mina was a shameless flirt who liked to play men off each other for attention and fun and this fellow was just another victim.

Apparently the boy was smarter than he appeared. After a moments consideration he turned away from them, brushing off his lapels and barreling through the crowd, looking for an exit. 'He resembles an ungainly bull' Mina thought with a laugh, watching the way he kept his head down, plowing ahead and not letting anyone get in his way.

Artemis turned to face her, now that the minor threat had passed. "Another charming conquest Princess." He congratulated her dryly, his tone at odds with his words. "Where do you find them?" He spoke rhetorically, exasperated as always with her antics.

"Oh shut up Artemis." She responded without heat. It was easy to forget the little drama in the face of this much more interesting diversion. She stepped away from the wall, and into his personal space, liking the way he refused to react or step back. He might be stubborn but he was a worthy adversary. And he was pretty to look at, she admitted to herself gleefully.

She lifted a hand to stroke his cheek, a calculated gesture. "What's the matter, were you jealous?" She taunted, gasping when he swiftly moved to grab her arm, holding it still before it could reach his face. His hand was curled around her wrist, and he felt the jump in her pulse, his own accelerating, though he did not let it show. She was a bewitching tease and if she ever thought for even a moment that she had any affect on him, she would make his life hell.

He jerked her arm so that she stumbled closer to him, the two practically chest to chest. She tilted her head back, her luxurious blond locks tumbling around her shoulders. She was so close to him now; he with his back to the room and made inconspicuous by their proximity to the wall, the two might as well have been alone-it certainly felt as if they were.

"I'm not one of your little play things that you can just kiss and discard." He growled, trying to re-assert his authority. But at the mention of the word kiss, her eyes darted down to his mouth and became fixated, as though it were impossible for her to look away. She licked her own slightly parched lips as though in anticipation, and Artemis unthinking responded. He expelled a shaky breath, unaware that he was giving himself away.

"Princess…?" He murmured softly, unsure of what was transpiring between them. When her eyes reluctantly returned to meet his, he was shocked to see the desire there. His mouth suddenly went dry, his heart hammering heavily, and he felt as if he had received a powerful blow to his stomach. His brows knitted together in confusion, and his grip on her wrist softened, so that she started to pull her arm away. But he caught it again, this time grasping her hand, and held it clasped in his own.

"Artemis" She spoke, half whisper, half sound. She couldn't seem to corral her chaotic thoughts. Some unknown demon was urging her to lean forward and taste that tempting mouth of his, to see if she could further shake up her normally stoic guardian.

Her right hand still enclosed in his, she lifted her other to rest on his chest watching for his reaction. The two were so close to one another that her chest brushed against the back of her hand covering his heart whenever she took a breath. His next move caused her heart to flutter wildly. He reached his other arm out, reverently sliding a hand to her waist, then moving it down her back and giving her a small slow push, so that she was flush up against him.

Things were getting serious, they could no longer consider this a fluke, or pretend it was all a joke. The warmth from his palm at her back warmed her exposed skin, and she felt herself blushing lightly, her cheeks heated at the feelings of pleasure he was evoking. For all her newfound experience with men, this was the first time she didn't feel like she was the one in charge and calling the shots, and she rather liked it.

Their gaze continued to hold, their eyes slumberous and lightening coursing through their veins. Artemis clenched his jaw and looked away; knowing things were way beyond what was appropriate conduct for their relationship. Mina studied his averted profile and decided one of them would have to take the next step and she knew her reserved guardian would not be the one to cross the line.

Stretching up on her tiptoes, she planted a seductive kiss on the strong column of his throat, the tip of her tongue laving the dip at the base of his neck. He held himself rigid, as if afraid to move and disturb the moment. Straining a little higher, her lips grazed that wonderfully aloof chin of his. But the quick pulse jumping at his throat belied his calm.

"Artemis…" She begged lightly, her sweet voice a force he was unable to deny. He looked down at her and felt his resistance dissolve and float away. He dipped his head, eyes closing in sheer pleasure as he lowered his mouth to hers.

But the sudden return of her friends caught them both off guard. Chatting gaily, the other princesses descended upon them, unaware of the scene they were breaking up.

The couple quickly broke apart, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

"Wow Mina, you really transformed this party!" Lita said admiringly. "Everyone's relaxed and having fun now!"

Mina stood facing her friends, an overly bright smile on her face nodding but not speaking. To her right stood Artemis, his back to them as he straightened his uniform and struggled to control his rioting emotions.

"Yeah, I think you saved this soiree!" Serena giggled at her own poor pun.

"Well, if it's one thing Mina does well, its parties!" Rei quipped.

Mina smiled, still trying to fake it.

"It's not the only thing she does well." Artemis murmured provocatively, for her ears alone.

She blushed a pretty pink, praying that the others wouldn't notice.

Of course they did, and began teasing her about some of the men she had been dancing with, trying to figure out who was making her so hot and bothered.

Artemis moved off unnoticed, back to his post so he could watch over his charge. But now he noticed she watched him back, darting glances at him when the others weren't looking. It took everything he had to stay rooted to the spot instead of closing the distance between them and kissing her until neither could find the strength to stand.

The girls prattled on, and gradually Mina began to relax and truly enjoy herself. At first she had been furious at being interrupted, but then she remembered and consoled herself with the fact that at the end of the night they had the long ride back together, unaccompanied by the others. Just the thought of it sent delicious shivers of anticipation down her spine.

She giggled and laughed, making jokes with Serena and fussing at Rei's lack of enthusiasm at the whole event. Amy and Lita chatted amongst themselves. Everyone was indeed having a good time and the evening wore on, the guests becoming pleasantly tired and some slightly inebriated.

It was at that point in the evening when everyone had been lulled into a false sense of security that the attack came. The waiters and waitresses that had been quietly serving all the important guests all night suddenly were nowhere to be found. No one noticed at first, but as it became clear that something was wrong, a soft buzzing began to fill the air as people tried to puzzle out what was going wrong. In the next horrifying moment they discovered the reason.

Suddenly shouts came, and the black and white clad wait staff reappeared, toting dangerous looking weapons and shouting demands for everyone to shut up and cooperate and no one would get hurt. The crowd collectively panicked and screams and chaos ensued.

A couple of rounds of gunfire shot into the air, quickly quieting the room.

The head baddie called for everyone to sit down in the nearest seats or on the floor and keep still. A rough handed waitress shoved Mina into a seat, and her friends quickly sat on the floor near her, all huddling together. From her slightly elevated vantage point, she could see Artemis still up against the wall, his face trained on her, his eyes warning her to be silent and cooperate.

Of course with so many important people in the room, the bodyguards and security force went nuts, all trying to get to the person or people they were there to protect. The high society crowd now looked with desperation for their protectors to save them.

But it seemed this group of criminals knew what needed to be done to avoid being 'taken out early in the game'. In a move that stunned the crowd, the leader gestured and two of his lackeys marched over to the back walls and began firing off electric rounds, quickly eliminating the threat of rescue swiftly and efficiently.

Mina watched in horror as an apron clad blonde gunned down bodyguard after bodyguard, slowing getting closer to where her precious Artemis stood, his body tensed as he awaited his inevitable death.

"Luna!" Serena screamed out in sheer terror, somewhere close to Mina's feet. Mina's head shot to another wall where Luna had been positioned, the executioner's gun inching closer to her as well.

For some reason, Serena's scream galvanized Mina into action. Unsure what to do, but knowing she had better do something; she stood and shouted for them to stop. This did nothing but get her shoved back into her seat. Pure adrenaline spiked through her, and she rose again and surprised the woman, delivering a power packed punch, knocking her assailant unconscious.

She then scurried over to the nearest table and grabbed a crystal vase, and ran towards the two firing militants, slinging back an arm and hauling it with all her might at one of the gunmen, knocking him on the head and causing him to stop. This in turn caused the woman to stop firing, unsure why her comrade had ceased fire.

The angry leader marched forward, demanding to know what was going on.

"Princess…" Artemis hissed in warning. His fear for her safety made the blood run cold in his veins.

Mina's head swam in relief. He was still alive. For a moment at least she had bought him a reprieve. Now she had to take this chance to save him. To save them all.

"Well, well." The man said smugly, upon hearing her name. "So, it's the Princess to the rescue, eh? Or should I call you martyr?" He said with an ugly grin.

She raised her chin, struggling to be dignified in the face of her fear. "You need not address me at all, murderer!" She countered, ignoring the gasps of incredulity from those around them.

"Olite let me kill her!" One of the women hissed, angered at her defiance.

He waited until she had a knife under the princess's chin before stopping her. "No, wait." Olite said, eerily calm. "I like her attitude." He said, an edge of satisfaction in his voice.

Olite moved to circle in front of her, so that they were face to face. A hand came up to touch her cheek, and she recoiled in disgust.

"Don't touch her!" Artemis ground out, sounding more like a jealous lover than a protective guardian.

Olite turned to eye the tall, silvery haired figure of the man before him practically shaking with rage. He raised an eyebrow in derision. "I'd love to know how you're going to stop me." He taunted.

Lightening fast, Artemis accepted the challenge, pouncing and pinning his quarry, an arm raised to deliver a deadly blow before his people could blink. At the last moment, one of Olite's men reached them; grabbing Artemis' fist and pulling it back at a punishing, awkward angle.

"Artemis!" Mina gasped, surging forward to help him.

"Stay where you are Princess." He ordered, wincing at the pain but not crying out.

Olite jumped up from his prone position on the floor, angry at being bested in front of so many onlookers and his own people. There would be hell to pay.

Causally, as though he weren't seething with fury, Olite dusted off his clothes and strolled over to Artemis, who was now being held captive between two of his men.

"And who are you to order around royalty?" He wanted to know. "You must think very highly of yourself young man." He sneered, though he couldn't be much older Artemis himself.

To prove the point, he drove a fist into the captive man, his solid fist connecting with a taunt stomach, causing Artemis to bow over in pain. Still, he didn't say a word. Olite continued delivering powerful blows to his mid-section, pouring rage into every strike, waiting for the proud protector to cry for mercy, but it never came.

Finally, wearing himself out he stopped, breathing hard and stepping back to control himself. Puffing he bent over a moment, resting his hands on his knees trying to collect his thoughts. He wasn't here for this; he was getting out of control. They were here to get rich, not to kill! The madness that sometimes crowded his brain was edging in, and he had to struggle to think clearly.

A soft sound began to seep into his consciousness. The sound of weeping. He glanced over to see the princess covering her face, unable to watch. Olite glanced over at the man he had just pummeled. He was on his knees, his captors having released him, and he was heaving breaths, his arms covering his midsection, his hair in disarray. But when he looked up, his eyes went immediately to her shaking form.

"It's all right Princess, please don't cry." He said quietly, still trying to comfort her, in the midst of his own horrendous pain and despite the danger that surround them.

"You're hurt." She whimpered, tears in her eyes. "This is my fault!" She cried, feeling his pain almost as keenly as he did.

"It's not." He assured her firmly. Artemis inclined his head to Olite. "He's the one responsible, not you." Mina shook her head in denial, not believing a word.

"All right, that enough!" Olite roared, angry at being ignored. He marched over to Artemis and grabbed a fist full of hair, jerking his head back painfully. "I'll make you scream before this is over!" He screeched. He grabbed a knife from its sheath at his side, ready to finish him, when Artemis's hushed words stopped him.

"Don't look Minako." He whispered. So, his concern was still for the woman, despite his imminent death, Olite sneered to himself. And suddenly, he knew that there was only one way to break this man.

Olite halted, straightening up and lowered his knife. He turned to face the Princess.

"Olite, we don't have time for this!" Hissed a younger man to his right. Artemis glanced up, and in spite of his pain he noted the resemblance the two had to one another. 'Brothers', he realized, or some close relative.

"Shut up Ioe!" Olite ordered, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of so many important people. "I'm going to end this once and for all." Artemis braced himself for a final blow, but instead, the cruel man crossed over to Mina.

He grabbed her arm, and she cried out, in shock and fear more so than pain. Artemis closed his eyes in despair. Now the man knew his weakness. In his pained state, Artemis had revealed more than he should have, and now it might cost him something infinitely more precious than his own life.

So much for all his 'special' training he thought fuzzily, the pain hazing his mind.

Raising a hand, Olite slapped Mina so hard she fell to the ground. She looked up at him, cradling her cheek in shock. No one had ever lashed out and hurt her like this before.

"Bitch." Olite spat, glancing back to see how her guardian was taking it. Satisfied with the pale man's face clenched in anger, he turned back to his captive. "Bind him!" Olite ordered, and the two men pulled out a piece of cord, knotting his wrists together behind him.

Forcing himself up on legs that were weak, he pulled up slowly so that he was in a standing position. Instead of the expected anger, Artemis felt resigned to his fate.

"Olite, you don't have time for this." He prodded the dark man. "Kill me and get this over with." He said, thinking that his sacrifice would save the princess.

"NO!" Mina surged up, rushing past Olite, breaking the hold he had on her. She almost reached Artemis before she was pulled back again by her hair snatched painfully in his fist.

The silvery haired man dreaded saying the next words but wanted to bid her goodbye before Olite killed him. "My only regret is that I won't be around to protect you Mina." He whispered, affection and love shining in his eyes.

"Mina…?" She repeated in awe. He hardly ever her first name, and she had never heard him use the nickname. It sounded so intimate…why had he never said it before now, she wondered bereftly.

Despite himself, Olite was fascinated with the scene before him and Mina was able to slip out of his grasp and she approached Artemis gingerly, as if afraid even her presence might cause him more pain.

"Please don't die." She said, as though it were a mere matter of choice. Tears filling her eyes again, how useless she was turning out to be, she thought.

"Mina." Artemis said in a low voice, speaking only to her. "I do have one other regret." He admitted, his eyes burning into hers. "I should have kissed you."

Lifting her tear stained face to his, her eyes begged for this all to be over. Desperately she wish they were safe back in their home planet, where the two of them would be free to explore their feelings for one another. She would love to have had the chance to make him smile, to tease and flirt with him, to make him mad with jealousy, and to make sweet provocative love to him. But she had to face the cold reality that this was it. Her mind screamed in denial, but her heart told her to be brave, for his sake.

"So kiss me already." She said imperiously, as though they were all alone.

"As you wish, Princess." He murmured, bending his head and capturing her lips with his own. His silvery hair slid over his shoulder, and she blindly reached out a hand to capture a silky strand, holding onto it almost childishly. Her other hand fisted into the jacket of his uniform, knowing that once she let go, it would all be over.

Artemis desperately wished his hands were not bound, he wanted to touch her, to feel the softness of her skin, to pull her closer and to just hold her one last time.

Exquisitely and tenderly he tasted her, for the first time, and he thought achingly, for the last. The thought made him bold and he parted his mouth, greedily wanting more. She mirrored his movements, and the kiss became even more intense as the two practically devoured one another. His eyes slid barely open, enough to see her precious, beautiful features wracked with passion before closing again, giving over to his senses entirely.

"That's enough!" Olite bellowed abruptly, apparently having regained his senses. He reached out, tearing the two apart.

But it appeared his fiery princess wasn't ready to say goodbye.

She closed her eyes, a prayer sweeping through her. 'Please God, give me strength.' She thought, 'for what I need to do.'

In a move no one expected, Mina whirled, energized and ready to fight. But instead of going for Olite, she aimed for the younger man next to him. Knocking the knife from Ioe and throwing her body against the unsuspecting man, she pinned him, grabbing the knife and pressing it into his throat.

Artemis blinked in surprise. Apparently his princess had noticed the resemblance in the two as well, and had wisely judged that he would be the easier target.

"What the hell are you doing?" Olite screamed in shocked anger.

"Artemis taught me that." Mina said proudly. She lifted her chin. "Now let him go, or this guy dies."

"Ioe!!" Olite yelled, furiously looking for a way to free his brother. "Bitch! Get off of him!" Olite continued to scream, and Artemis realized with a new surge of fear that the man was going wild, literally. He was loosing his mind! In this state there was no telling what he would do.

But the distraction had proved to be just what the other bodyguards and security had needed. While everyone's focus had been on the couple and the mad man's antics, some of the bodyguards who had escaped execution had managed to get in a position to counter attack.

Suddenly, violently, all hell broke loose.

Several of the protectors began counter attacking the armed men and women. Shouts, screams and fear was palpable in the air.

Despite the chaos around him, Olite was blind to all but his brother. He raised a powerful fist to Mina, heedless of the fact that she held the knife tight at his throat and could kill either his brother or himself if Olite were to strike.

"Mina, look out!" Artemis shouted, and launched himself out of his distracted guards hold and straight at Olite, the two colliding painfully. Artemis could not deflect Olite's attacks with his arms behind his back, but he used his upper body to block him, desperate to keep Mina safe.

His princess straddled the younger brother, her skirt hiked up to reveal her thighs. She held the knife in place, though her hand was shaking. The murderous bedlam around her frightened her even more. Weapons continued to fire every few minutes as those around them wrestled for control.

Cries of fear and death could be heard, and when an important senator from a nearby galaxy fell lifelessly against her before sliding off to the floor beside her, Mina refused to look. In her state of paralysis she locked eyes with her captive, not wanting to see the horror around her.

She focused solely on Ioe's strangely unblinking lavender colored eyes. Over and over, she whispered a litany; "Artemis will save me, Artemis will save me."

Eventually additional troops arrived, and the last of the uprising was contained. The crazed sounds began to recede and the insanity around them began to settle.

The last of the criminals were taken out of the ballroom, and gunfire could be heard as the militia executed them. There would be no trial for these merciless killers.

Back in the room, the terrified crowd began to assess the damage, and weeping filled the air as they realized the extent of the tragedy. It no longer mattered who was important, who was wealthy and rich-it seemed everyone has suffered and no one was exempt from pain and loss.

Mina looked up, her eyes searching for _his_ face. Her hair settled around her slim shoulders, framing the features of a terrified woman-child. Aching blue eyes took in the painful sight of her frightened friends. At least the other princesses had survived, she thought distantly. Luna was crouched on the floor, a sequined vision in black, her arms encircling a sobbing Serena, murmuring soothing words to her. Mina gave silent thanks that they had all made it, including the grave and silent Luna.

Even, measured steps clicked on the dance floor to her right, and she froze a moment before turning to face that sound. Her mouth parted in awe at the sight of her beloved Artemis standing calmly over her. His face was bruised; his body stiff with pain but his eyes conveyed none of this.

"May I borrow that knife Princess?" He asked casually, turning his back to her so she could slice the ropes that bound him.

"But what about…" She asked hesitantly, wondering what to do about her captive.

"He won't be giving you any trouble." Artemis softly assured her, wriggling his hands a little to bring her attention back to the task at hand.

She lifted the knife and began cutting delicately, and when that didn't work, she began sawing desperately, tears coming to her eyes when she didn't seem to be making headway fast enough.

"Allow me." He spoke naturally, as though it had been a quiet evening and not a near death experience for them both. He slipped the knife from her grasp, and with a few easy moments he freed himself.

Mina still didn't move from her awkward position, staring up at him, looking very much like a child seeking reassurance.

Artemis stretched out a hand, waiting for her to take it.

Again she dithered. "But what about him?" She asked confusedly, wanting to make sure they were in no further danger first.

"Mina." He said gently, giving a tug on her resistant hand. "He's dead."

She gasped, looking up at him as though he were crazy, then shooting a look down at the still form beneath her. A stray bullet had neatly pierced the side of his skull, killing him instantly.

Locking eyes with him when the battle broke out had been the only thing keeping her from crying out in terror. She realized now she had been staring into the unblinking eyes of a dead man.

With a cry, she leaped up and into Artemis's waiting arms. He encircled her waist, pulling her close.

"I thought you were going to die." She agonized as she burrowed her face into the crook of his neck.

He gave a weak chuckle, still hurting but unwilling to release her. Holding her close he rested his head on the top of hers, but the weariness was began to catch up with him and he released her just as his legs buckled beneath him and he crumbled to the ground.

"Artemis!" She gasped, quickly scrambling down to lean over him. "Are you ok?" She asked worriedly.

He tried to nod but the effort was too much. "I will be." He said, his voice sounding faint. "As long as you're not the one nursing me back the health."

It took a moment for her to separate the words from the pain in his voice. "Well you're outta luck there mister, cause now that I know that's what you don't want, that's defiantly what you're going to get!" She said, but her brow furrowed in worry all the same.

Mina was beginning to realize just how serious his wounds were. Her brave guardian had held himself up for her sake all this time, but now he needed care.

He managed a small smile and reached up a hand to tug at an errant golden curl. "I'll be ok as long as I have you by my side Princess."

"Princess?" She parroted, feeling a little better. "What happened to Mina?" She brushed the hair away from his forehead. A doctor finally reached them, and began assessing the extent of his injuries.

"Mina." Artemis whispered intimately, and the doctor glanced between the two, feeling as though he were intruding.

"He'll be sore and bruised, but with lots of rest and medication he'll be fine." The doctor assured her moments later, moving on to the next wounded victim.

"Did you hear that dear, sweet Artemis?" She murmured, strong feelings of relief and tenderness welling up in her. "You're going to be fine." She continued to smooth his brow, idly straightening his clothes and fussing with his bandages.

"Dear? Sweet?" He asked, and despite his fatigue his tone was dry. "Well, that's a switch. Earlier this evening I recall you saying I was horrible…" He mimicked her rude tone from the beginning of the night.

She blushed. "You heard that?" She asked, mortified.

"Princes, I do have the hearing of a cat." He said, subtly reminding her of his Mau heritage.

"I didn't mean it." She confessed instantly, contritely. "I'm sorry."

"So," He concluded struggling to sit up with her help. "You don't think I'm 'creepy' anymore?" He asked with a quirked brow.

She thumped a fist lightly on his chest. "Well you are a creep for scaring me like that." Min informed him in mock exasperation.

"Then perhaps it will make you rethink rushing to someone's defense next time." He advised her as he slowly began working himself back up to a standing position. "You could have been killed!"

"You could have too!" She rebutted. But her mind recalled how close she had come to loosing him, and her eyes hazed with remembered fear.

Artemis regretted causing her fresh pain. "But I wasn't Princess." He said soothingly. He squeezed her fingers lightly to remind her he was alive and here with her.

Despite his weakness and precarious balance Mina couldn't help herself. She hugged herself close to him and sighed. "I'm so glad." She confessed sincerely.

Artemis rubbed a hand down her back comfortingly. "So am I Mina. So am I." He whispered in her ear. He promised himself not to waste this second chance he had been given.

Slowly began to make their way over to the other princesses. He gave her one last look before they joined the others. "And don't think that because of this;" He indicated their joined hands-their new relationship and everything it encompassed. "You can use me to get away with things." She giggled, he knew her so well.

And it was then that Mina realized that she loved him. She smiled up at him, receiving one in from him in return. But it would never do to let him know so soon how she really felt. At least not this soon.

He continued sternly listing all the things he wouldn't do within the confines of their courtship. "And don't expect me to play second fiddle to some other guy in your little games to make men jealous, I wont stand for that Princess. And I will not fight every suitor who approaches just to appease your vanity. And…" He was interrupted by a soft kiss to his chin. Startled, he looked down at her.

"Jerk." She said lovingly. And the endearment made him grin.

xxxxxxx

End


End file.
